Refrigerator adjustable shelf



Nov. 14, 1967 H. H. SMITH 3,352,431

REFRIGERATOR ADJUSTABLE SHELF Filed Jan. 2l, 1966 M .WM-

ATMP/IH n United States Patent 3,352,431 REFRIGERATOR ADJUSTABLE SHELFHarold H. Smith, Detroit, Mich., assignor to American MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Maryland Filed Jan. 21,1966, Ser. No. 522,253 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-176) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURERefrigerator adjustable shelf being swingable between a first and asecond horizontal position by a crank arm pivot arrangement at its rear,and locked in shelf position upon the placement of the front section ofthe shelf in xed supports.

This invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly to a newand improved adjustable shelf arrangement for use within the foodcompartment thereof.

In the past many types of shelf arrangements have been provided inrefrigerators, but to the knowledge of applicant, the shelf arrangementherein disclosed is new and unique in providing an adjustable shelf thatmay be quickly raised or lowered from one horizontal plane to anotherwithout being removed from the food compartment of a modernrefrigerator.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide anadjustable shelf for use in refrigerators, or the like, that may bequickly raised from one horizontal plane to another by simply moving theshelf support through 180 degrees, to raise the shelf to a higherstanding plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable shelf thatis swingably supported and retained at the back of the refrigerator foodcompartment, and has selective front supporting means located adjacentthe front of the refrigerator food compartment to hold the shelf in oneof two selected horizontal positions within said refrigerator.

A still further object is to provide an adjustable shelf member that maybe raised from one horizontal plane to an optional higher standinghorizontal plane to provide additional storage space therebelow.

The above and other objects of the invention will appear from thefollowing more detailed description and from the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator with the doorpartly broken away to show the shelf in its normal position.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along line2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 3 3 ofFIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one of the sides of the refrigeratorshowing the shelf in position to be moved upwardly to a higher plane.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a refrigeratorhaving the lower door thereof partly broken away to show the adjustableshelf 12 installed and 1n its normal or lower position within thecabinet.

The adjustable shelf 12 includes a perimeter frame 12 with heavy wirecross pieces 11, or the like, to provide a conventionally known type ofrefrigerator shelf member. The front bar 13 of the shelf is made toextend laterally beyond the width of the frame 12', as at 14, for apurpose later to be described.

To support the shelf 10 within the refrigerator food compartment, a rearsupporting rod member 15 1s provided, the same being bent as shown bestin FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawing to form a crank or cradle to receivece r 3,352,431

Patented Nov. 14, 1967 and support the back of shelf 12. The oppositeends of the rod 15 are bent outwardly, as at 16, to engage a pair ofreceptive open-ended bearing members 17 secured to the inside opposedwalls of the refrigerator cabinet lil by suitable fasteningtmeans 18.The top part of said bearing members is pinched as at 19, FIGURE 3, tohold the ends 16 of rod 15 rotatably therein, as will be shown.

To support the front of the shelf 12, there are provided U-members 20,secured to the opposite side walls of the refrigerator food compartment,near the front thereof, and adapted to receive the protruding ends 14 ofthe front bar member 13. Additional U-shaped members 22 are alsoprovided, the same being secured to the opposite side walls of the foodcompartment above brackets 20, an equal distance higher than brackets17, for a purpose soon to be described.

So that shelf. 12 will be rotatable and also secured to rod member 15there are provided I members 25 welded to frame 12 and which receive andhold rod 15 thereto.

The manner in which the shelf operates is as follows:

One of the normal positions of shelf 12 is that shown in FIGURES l, 3and 4 of the drawing. If more space is desired beneath the shelf, it maybe moved to a higher horizontal plane simply by removing the extendedend portions 14, if front frame member 13 from supports 20 and pullingforward on shelf 12 rotating support 15 through an arc of degrees, Thismovement, imparted to rod 15, causes the rear of the shelf heldrotatably thereon by I members 25, to move forward and upwardly in anarc until bar 15 is in the upright position shown in phantom in FIG'URE2 and the extended end portions 14 of the front bar 13 are in positionto be seated in brackets 22 which are positioned above bearing brackets17 an equal distance to the distance brackets 20 are therebelow for justsuch purpose. In this position the shelf is level and provides spacethereon for such foods as meat, cheese, bacon, or the like, and alsoprovides ample space therebeneath for milk, large cans of juice, etc.

To return the shelf to a lower or more normal position, one has simplyto disengage extensions 14 from brackets 22 and pull the shelf 12forward and move it through an arc to again seat extensions 14 inopposed brackets 20 the bar 15 moving through an arc of 180 degreeswhile still engaged in bearing members 17, until again in its normal orlower plane position.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there has been describedherein a new and improved adjustable shelf member that may be quicklyraised or lowered from one horizontal plane to another when more spaceis desired between shelves of a modern refrigerator. The shelf membercan be quickly changed by simply lifting and of the shelf from itssupports and moving the shelf through an arc to seat the front of theshelf again in :opposed wall supports located on a higher plane;-thereby relocating the entire shelf member and making additional spacebeneath same, but still leaving space in the new shelf position for foodproducts to be received thereon. When desired, the shelf may be quicklylowered by simply disengaging same from its opposed wall supports,pulling same forward rotating it through an arc, to return the shelf toits normal position with the front thereof supported in opposed supportsand the back thereof supported on its cradle member.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form, it isunderstood that the present disclosure has been made only by way ofexample and that numerous changes in the details of construction and thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

I claim: An adjustable shelf for use in a refrigerator, and comprising;

a shelf member,

means for swingably supporting the back of said shelf member,

means for selectively supporting the front of said Vshelf so that saidshelf may be disposed in and'moved from one horizontal plane to optionalhigher standing and lower hanging horizontal planes and to be lockedtherein, and in which the shelf member inincludes front edge extensionsreceptive in said selective supports for horizontal support of saidshelf in combination with said swingable supporting means, and

said swingable supporting means is rotatable through an arc ofsubstantially 180 for optional free hanging and upstanding support ofsaid shelf thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Barnhardt 211--153 Hallock n211-153 Beckett 312-351 Genebach 126-337 Sklenar 24S- 238 Miller n312-306 Smith 3 12--35 1 15 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

